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Off-Road Expo spreads wings

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A growing number of racing formula in South Africa are jumping onto a bandwagon that will provide South African motorsport with a valuable shop window.

While off-road disciplines will hog the limelight with heavy representation from the Production and Special Vehicle categories as well as off-road motorcycles and quads, more racing disciplines are grabbing the opportunity to reach out to a major market at Auto Africa.

The latest recruits are Formula GTi and Formula Vee which will join circuit racing cousins SA Production Cars and SASCAR at Nasrec. Around half a dozen cars each from Formula Vee, the longest running nursery formula in South African motor sport, and Formula Gti will be on display.

On top of that the powerboat brigade is expanding its presence at the Bankfin Off Road Expo. Three boats from the premier Formula One category will be on display, along with an F30 boat, two Junior Formula boats and a development boat.

And, for those with a slightly morbid interest in the more dangerous side of motor sport, also on view will be the wreck of the F1 craft that recently almost cost multiple South African champion Peter Lindenberg his life. Lindenberg, equally adept on water and on road circuits, was lucky to survive a huge crash that left him in a coma.

"The Bankfin Off-Road Championship fraternity saw Auto Africa as an ideal outlet to further take the sport to the people," says MSA Off-Road Car Racing Commission president Piet Swanepoel.

"As expected the response was more than gratifying, and with Bankfin's support we then decided to invite other racing formulas to pick up on the opportunity to gain invaluable exposure.

"The growing number of participants from across the motorsport spectrum is proof the concept is working, and off-road racing is more than happy to share the limelight with other formulas."

Swanepoel adds that a prime location for the Bankfin Off-Road Expo added to the potential pulling power of the display. The expo will be held in the Nasrec amphitheatre adjacent to the main Nasrec entrances at Gates 3 and 4 - with space now at something of a premium.

"We are grateful to the organisers of Auto Africa for allowing us to be part of what is a worldwide showcase for the South African motor industry," says Swanepoel.

"In times where motor sport is facing increasing competition from other sports and leisure activities, we have to take every opportunity to display our wares.

"The Bankfin Off-Road Expo is one of those opportunities, and we are looking forward to a hugely successful project that has the potential to grow in the future."

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